The busy week continued

Oh well folks and woofs,
it's been yet another busy time, and Chris was busy on her own PC rather
than letting me type, so here I am finally, while she is watching both
tennis and cars.

On the day that followed we didn't do much, but in the afternoon we went
to the usual store. It is not too far to walk, and I sniffed the gradd
and had fun. We bought only a few things after the humans had had food
and talked. And once we were past the money exchange places, we met the
lady who has the other dog. She is cool and plays with me. She and
Mylove found out that they remembered each other from one former
meeting, that was fun! So then we went home and continued doing nothing,
it was yet another relaxing day, which is necessary every now and then.

The next day Chris and I got up, she insisted that I go with her and not
stay with Mylove until he woke up. We went for the dog route and then
Chris was amazed to find Mr Mylove awake and on the balcony. She stayed
with him for a while, and then we had to run to be on time.

The work day was normal, Chris was tired and I found myself in the
working routine. When it was time to go home, Chris had woken up
completely, but Mr Mylove said it might be raining and we might not be
going to the beach.

At the apartment Chris found out that he was shopping again and had
bought a few accessories to make the apartment nice and cozy. He had
bought another carpet for the bathroom, cushions and candle holders. he
had even found a peace of woodboard to put between the oven and the
sink, so the sink would be more stable. I believe Chris loves him
anyway, and she was happy about the changes he had made. Then we went
grocery shopping, and then they had dinner on the balcony, as always.

The next day Chris had to work from home, but she took the time to have
breakfast with Mr Mylove on the balcony, he played computer and she
worked. But she and the boss agreed that she could quit work earlier, so
we all went to the beach again, where Chris lay down and relaxed and
only occasionally played with a stick with me. I didn't get to go into
the water too often that day, because it was not so warm anymore. And
because of that we left the beach a little earlier, and the evening was
spent quietly and on the balcony, of course.

The next day none of the two felt like going to the bakery, so they had
breadrolls from the freezer. Mr Mylove finished packing, and then we all
left for the streetcar station. We simply crossed the tracks, and when
the next train came I found that the door closed between Chris and Mr
Mylove, and I had no time to protest. We got off on our own and walked
home on our own. That is cheating, if you ask me. Had i seen him walk
away, I would have made sure that Chris and I followed, but with the way
things went ths time, I simply wasn't given a chance!

Mr Mylove later told Chris that he got one earlier train and was home a
little earlier, too, which wasn't all that bad.

I love it when we do many things and I can get to look at environments
and explore new routes, that's what I love!

And give me some time and I will tell you another story about that!

Cheers for now, Quito.

Back home

Allright, here comes another part of the busy week, and busy and
exciting it was.

As I said, we left Sunday early morning to take trains for a long ride
home. Mr Mylove accompanied us all the way, and I really like him loads.
He even came up into the apartment with us, and later he lay down in the
bed with Chris, like they did at the home near the river.

The next morning we got up all on our own, Chris and I, and walked to
work. We returned home earlier than usual, because the place was
occupied by somebody else, so Chris could not work from work, but had to
from home. At home Mr Mylove was already busy doing something. And by
the time he was ready, Chris could take the laptop and work comfortably
from outside, from the balcony. The two chairs had been set up. After
Chris had finished work, we all left, took two trains and then ended up
at the beach. The humans sat on the sandy ground, but Chris decided not
to go to the water, because of her foot. So Mr Mylove took me to the
water, and we had such fun! I played with him, and once outside the
water I shook myself and jumped up on him and cleaned my dripping wet
muzzle on his trousers, which made him laugh.

We went into the water again, annd then a huge wave clashed over me and
I ran for the safe shore, right up to Chris. But the huge water fountain
was all Mr Mylove's. Once it got a little cooler, we started walking
towards the little pretty city, walked around and around and then then
ended up at a restaurant where Chris annd I used to go with the friend
Silke I lay down under the table, and Chris annd Mr Mylove had food,
before we went home.

The next morning Chris woke up, prepared breakfast and then returned to
the bedroom to wake up Mr Mylove. She said she was sorry but had to wake
him up this early. .He got up, received some coffee, and soon we were on
trains again. I found out that we were in the vilage with the tiny dog,
the sister and niece and Micki, but for the time being we went into a
doctor's office, where Chris disappeared in two rooms, before she
returned outside with a few papers. Only then did we go to see Micki and
the sister and the tiny dog. We dogs stayed in the livingroom, while the
humans had breakfast and went to sit outside. I did, too, until Micki
and Suse left, and us dogs and the remaining two humans went along the
field route. The tiny dog returned home early, but I got to runrunrun in
the field like there was no tomorrow, and I had so so much funn!

We spent the rest of the morning outside, and then I spotted the cat and
because nobody was on alert, took the chance to chase him up the tree.
Another man arrived, another sister's husband, and soon we left for the
train station. Sister Suse followed us, and I had to stay with Mr Mylove
while Chris took a look at another dog behind the glass window of the
shelter. At one point Mr Mylove left Chris and mysellf, and returned
with a huge bunch of flowers he had just picked for Chris. She was so
delighted about that!

And then we walked to a nearby pond, where I drank water and then played
a little, until Mr Mylove threw in a stick, and I went and retrieved it.
He did that again, and I ran into the water, swam and brought back the
stick. O that was great fun! And he was really proud of me, and I was,
too! By the time the train came I was almost dry again.

Part two of that week to follow soon, goodnight for now, Quito.

Another journey

Hello again:

I know it's been a while since I updated you on all that's been going on
around here, but for one thing we didn't have the computer turned on for
too long, and for another we were really busy all the time.

However, the journey we went on this time started in a car. Chris put me
into the car harness, where she can attach me to the safety belt system
if she has to. I was put into the back of the car with a few bags at
first. Chris and I were travelling with three other humans that I know
from work. At first the journey was quite uncomfortable, because the
space was tiny beside the bags. One man said I could lie down on top of
the bags, but believe me, that is really nothing you want to do. After
the first break I got more space, because they put a few bags on the
back seat between the ladies, which I really liked. We took another
break, but I was too nervous to drink water.

We arrived at one place, and the two men unloaded their bags and put it
into the house, where we were greeted by a lady. Another man came
outside, Micha, who is a great wrestler at work. I love playing with
him. We drove another little while, and then Micha and the ladies took
me for a nice long walk along a forrest route, where Micha found a stick
and we played off leash with it.

Then it was humans food time, so I lay under the table and waited
patient,y, tryig to sneak a fallen french fry from under the table. The
effort was destroyed by Chris at the instant she figured it out.
Fun-spoiler, really!

Then we were taken to a hotel, me and the ladies, and the men left. At
the hotel Chris annd I had a nice spacious room, where she fed me,
talked with Mr Mylove, who had turned into Mr Voice again, and then we
both went to sleep. In the morning the other lady picked us up for
breakfast, and after that we walked to another building, where Chris met
somebody I don't know. We first walked along a corridor downstairs, and
Chris left her bag at a desk with nobody at it. Then we walked up some
stairs and entered a room, where a lady immediately came to greet us.
Chris knows her from a few emails, but it was nice, she says, to meet
her in person, and the lady really likes me. Then the other people that
we had travelled here with arrived and we all sat down. And then I saw
Mr Voice, who again was turning into Mr Mylove. He quickly said hi to
Chris, sat down at the other side of a huge middle post supporting the
roof, but thhen switched to a chair beside me and Chris, because he said
it was not good to have the groups separated. It appears the two groups
were the one I travelled with and the one that was working at the
building we were at just then.

They talked and talked, and then came the first break. The weather was
wonderfully sunny, and Chris suggested a dog walk to anybody that wanted
to join. The kind lady and another one joined us, and that new friend
received the controlling end of my flexible leash once we were outside.
Mr Mylove walked with Chris, and I had fun playing and finally doing
what every dog has to do after having been fed food. I always take a
while to do my business when I am somewhere unfamiliar.

The day continued like this: talking, break, talking, break, and so on.
Sometimes Chris disappeared with one lady, and another took care of me.
We also went and spent breaks on balconies, where Chris enjoyed the sun
and I got the chance to explore the area. Finally the talk ended, and
the others that Chris and I had initially travelled with, said goodbye
and left. Chris and I joined one of the two nice ladies, who showed us
all around the house. Chris stopped to talk with people, and finally I
spotted the big boss. When Chris let me off leash, I ran and greeted him
with the appropriate enthusiastic jumps and dances. But when she called
I came, and we continued the tour. Finally we arrived at Mr Mylove's
desk, where the lady said farewell, and Mr Mylove and I wennt upstairs
to pick up the big boss and have a cup of coffee on one of the balconies
with him. Well not me, but the humans, of course.
And then Mr Mylove finished work and we walked to a bus. I finally
discovered the dog route they take me on when we are visiting him, and
in the apartment I really felt at home. I can play with Mr Mylove so
greatly, I love him for that one. We play with old army hats, or we
wrestle. It is good to have yet another home that I am familiar with.

The next morning we all went backk to work again, this time with a
colleague who had agreed to take us with her by car. First Chris and I
went to say hello to a few ladies who took us for breakfast with them,
and we talked a little. Then finally we went downstairs, where Chris set
up her laptop near Mr Mylove's desk, and she worked. When he went for
his break he took us with him, and we all enjoyed it. Chris says she got
a lot of work done, and Mr Mylove even made sure she could use the
telephone at the desk. At night we all went to the lady colleague's
place, she parked her car and we walked towards our home, where we
stayed at an outside restaurant and talked until the humans got tired.

The next afternoon we went to the park wiith the lake and the river
again. I drank water in the lake and cooled myself, but I did not want
to swim there. So we walked to the river, where Chris went into the
water with me. She had carried two sticks with her for me to retrieve,
and after a few attempts I did manage to swim quite nicely. When leaving
the water Chris discovered that something must have cut her foot, and
the foot was bleeding. Mr Mylove took great care of it, she says, so it
was okay pretty soon, and she could walk without major difficulty. O I
really love playing with Mr Mylove in the water, it is so much fun!

We walked to a supermarket, shopped a little and then took a bus home,
where the humans relaxed and watched TV on the couch and I got my food
and they had theirs. The next day we all left the apartment with packed
bags, and about that part of the adventure I will tell you in another post.

Cheers, Quito.

Busy busy busy!

While the past week has been mainly routines after we had arrivbed back
home, yesterday was busy.
First thing after we arrived was to go to the quiet office with Daniel,
and Chris stood her ground when I wanted to pull and run after Daniel in
the attempt to follow him. Once we had arriived in the office Chris made
sure I lay down and remain quiet before letting me speed off to greet
Daniel.

Then came the other man who is not too fond of me, but we ignored each
other pretty much. We were also visited by Angelique, the kind lady who
always strokes my belly.

Back at the desk Chris had to work a little, but in the afternoon I saw
a few people aproaching and thought it was my task to greet them. O well
I was shown that it was not and was sent flying back to my mat. Damn, I
thought I'd get by this time! Another man came to greet Chris, and I was
quieter in greeting him this time and she did not object. I have never
seen him, but apparently he knows my favourite Mr Voice or Mylove -
because I still think that is his real name - for they talked about him,
and the stranger told Chris another little story.

When it was time to go home, I showed Chris the way until the staircase
to our house, but she insisted that we go straight this time. Okay we
did, and soon we were at the shopping cube. Past the bakery and into the
door where the physiotherapist is hiding. We did not go there, but to
the pharmacy instead. I found the exit, and then we went into the
butcher's shop, where she bought meat, but put it away into the
backpack, unfortunately. Then followed the kebab shop, where she also
received a delicious smelling packkage and put it away. Finally we went
into the bakery, where the lady was already cleaning the floors, but
Chris bought a little bread, and then we went back home. We had two
minor hickups on the way back, but Chris says for one she was to blame,
and for the other a dog that distracted me, or maybe I was to blame
indirectly, because dogs do distract me. You have to keep a close eye on
them, or else they come lounging forward and try to snap me.

O I was pretty happy when I received my food that night. Mylove was
coughing on the phone, Chris says he's got a propper cold. But then she
is starting to sneeze and cough, too, and it has gotten cold outside.
Maybe they do everything together, these two, including catching colds ...

Allright, I've got to let her turn off the computer, and she is telling
me also that we will be travelling to see Mylove tomorrow, but that
we'll actually be seeing him the day aftery.

Yay, can I snuggle on the couch or bed then, please? Or can we wrestle,
please? Probably, because you are a good Mr Mylove, and even though you
love Chris, you're really cool. Cheers, Quito.

Part 3 - The mystery solved

After the water experience we walked some more, took a bus and walked
more yet. And when we arrived at home, Chris almost had to drag me up
the steps. O I was so so tired!

Chris says Mr Voice, Ralf, is a great cook, and he had bought her
favourite letuce, too! And the dressing was really delicious. How come
they dress a salade before they eat it?

The next morning after they finally decided to wake up and get up, we
went for a nice long morning walk, first along my dog route, and then
through the city. Suddenly a bell was striking from a magical place way
above our heads. Chris and Ralf had trouble understanding what the other
said, and Chris thought that sound was really impressive. She says it
was Easter, and many people followed the sound of the bells to go to
church. She says I'd been to a church last winter with Micki and the
sister and the niece. Well, this time we didn't, but we went to get
human breakfast rolls instead.

The rest of the day was very quiet. Ralf annd I played fetch with the
old army hat, or we wrestled on the floor, and apart from that nothing
much happened. The humans relaxed on the couch and watched TV. Ralf even
found a way so Chris could watch her favourite tennis Rafa win another
title, annd in return she watched his favourite TV series with him.

At night we went outside again for the dog walk, and we ended up at a
place outside where they had food and drinks. Chris says the food was
louzy and too expensive, and I lay with Ralf, who generally took over
the leash quite a few times when walking me. I have made him part of the
pack, because I don't think he will be leaving us for a long time. And
because he seems to be allright with Chris, I'd better be allright with him.

The next day started slowly, but then we went outside, walked to the
train station, got off it and walked a little to another place where
they have music and drinks outside. First the humans sat down on a bench
with no sun, but then they moved, and both relaxed. I was a little bored
but dealt with it, because I had no choice.

I encountered another inteesting phenomenon. Our path was blocked by a
bar, and we had to wait in front of it. A train passed by, and then the
bar was lifted automatically, so people and bicycles and crs could move
and cross the raintracks with no train coming. I don't think we have
something here with the streetcar tracks.

At home we went for the evening walk, the humans ordered pizza, and then
Chris and I went upstairs on our own. Soon Ralf followed, and they had a
pizza party on the couch, with no food for me, of course.
Then Chris walked around, put things into bags, and thenthe humans
called it a day.

The next morning was started by Ralf, who got up and turned on the
coffee machine. The humans had a quiet breakfast, Chris took a shower
and finished packing the bags, and then we all left the apartment. My
food bowl stayed there, and a tiny bag of Chris', too. Does that mean we
are returning soon? I'd be happy!

Morning walk, train station, train and train station followed, the
humans had a little snack and coffee, and then Ralf took us on our train
and said goodbye. Because I had tried to follow him while being on a
down stay, Chris was strict and told him not to pet me. He found that
hard but obeyed, unfortunately. Does everybody have to obey to Chris'
commands, or is it just whenn the commands are related to me? Even that
would be a shame!

I have to mention, however, that Chris was really cool. At one point
Ralf wanted me up on the couch with him, so he tapped the seat. Chris
came out of the bathroom and told him to clap his hands at face level,
so I would jump up. He did, and he and I had a great time on the couch
until she came and claimed my spot.

When we left the train, a lady greeted us, and then I spotted Daniel on
wheels. Yippee, I was so so excited! Chris called on me to guide her,
however, because she had no hand free to follow Daniel. I followed him
instead and even showed Chris a lift.

We stopped by to get supper for the humans, and then we walked around
the familiar dog route, before finally arriving at home, where Chris
called Ralf to tell him she'd arrived we..

Allright, that was a long travel report, and I do believe we will be
travelling soon again, cheers, Quito.